THE City of Stirling has appointed councillors Elizabeth Re and Rod Willox as alternate representatives on the controversial Metro North-West Joint Development Assessment Panel (DAP).
The pair were appointed as alternate members alongside Mayor Giovanni Italiano and Cr David Boothman on the five-member panel, which consists of three specialist-planning members and two local government councillors.
Last year, the City joined 13 other councils in calling for the abolition of DAPs.
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Cr Re introduced a motion calling for their abolition and said DAPs failed to give the community a voice in planning matters.
The motion stated that DAPs represented a “significant erosion of planning powers” by elected representatives.
Planning Minister Donna Faragher announced in December there would be changes to the DAP system in WA to “increase transparency and flexibility” amid controversy around the community consultation processes spearheaded by community group ‘Scrap the DAPs.’
Ms Faragher said the DAP system was introduced in 2011 as part of a major WA planning reform and had been reviewed twice.
“The latest changes were announced in October 2016 and are a direct result of feedback from key stakeholders, including local governments, as well as recommendations made through the 2015 State Parliamentary inquiry,” she said.
“These changes will ensure the DAP system remains flexible and responsive to community expectations while continuing to provide the best possible planning outcomes for Western Australia.”
Councils which have voted to abolish the DAPs are Vincent, Mosman Park, Nedlands, Town of Cambridge, Subiaco, Bayswater, South Perth, Belmont, Cottesloe, Claremont, Peppermint Grove, Melville andVictoria Park.